There are several limitations of the scientific literature on the linkage between positive youth development (PYD) attributes and adolescent psychological morbidity. First, longitudinal studies in the field are limited. Second, few studies have used validated PYD measures to explore the related issues. Third, few studies have used large samples. Fourth, limited studies have been conducted in mainland China. In this study, we conducted a longitudinal study using two waves of data collected from 2648 junior high school students in mainland China. In each wave, participants responded to a validated PYD scale (Chinese Positive Youth Development Scale: CPYDS) and other measures of well-being, including the 20-item Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). After controlling for the background demographic variables, different measures of CPYDS (cognitive–behavioral competence, prosocial attributes, general positive youth development qualities, positive identity, and overall PYD qualities) were negatively associated with CES-D scores in Wave 1 and Wave 2. Longitudinal analyses also revealed that PYD measures in Wave 1 negatively predicted Wave 2 depression scores and the changes over time. The present findings highlight the protective role of PYD attributes in protecting adolescents from depression.

In this pioneering study, we examined the influence of moral character attributes and responsible behavior on adolescent life satisfaction, as well as the mediating role of adolescents’ responsible behavior in the influence of moral character attributes on life satisfaction in 2,474 adolescents in Hong Kong. We used a 25-item measure to assess moral character attributes, a 15-item measure to assess responsible behavior, and the 5-item Satisfaction with Life Scale to assess life satisfaction. Factor analyses using confirmatory factor analyses provided support for the factorial validity of the measures of adolescent moral character attributes, responsible behavior, and life satisfaction. Consistent with our hypotheses, moral character attributes positively predicted adolescents’ responsible behavior as well as life satisfaction, and adolescents’ responsible behavior positively predicted life satisfaction. Separate analyses using PROCESS and combined analysis using SEM via Mplus showed that adolescents’ responsible behavior mediated the influence of moral character attributes on adolescent life satisfaction. The present findings highlight the importance of moral character on adolescent well-being and support the positive youth development approach in the field.

This paper examines the association between housing and adolescents’ socioemotional well-being in China using a large nationally representative dataset from the 2016 China Family Panel Studies (CFPS). The results showed that housing conditions were negatively correlated with adolescents’ depression and positively correlated with subjective well-being when family income was controlled. However, homeownership did not predict adolescent’s subjective well-being and depression. Adolescents living in urban areas have better socioemotional well-being than adolescents living in rural areas, as demonstrated by their higher subjective well-being, lower depression, and higher self-esteem. Both urban and rural adolescents were influenced by housing conditions in a similar pattern. In addition, self-esteem mediated the relationship between housing conditions and adolescents’ socioemotional well-being. The results indicate that housing conditions are an important factor for policymakers to consider when promoting children’s well-being in China.

This study examined the impact of household assets on multiple dimensions of child well-being using data on 2,583 children aged 10–15 years and their families from the cross-sectional 2016 China Family Panel Studies survey. Household assets were measured as the value of housing assets, cash deposits and household durable goods. Child well-being was measured with 10 indicators in five dimensions: health, education, economic well-being, subjective well-being and family relationships. Multiple linear regression was applied to investigate whether household assets were predictive of child well-being. The results suggest that children living in households with relatively low levels of household assets have lower overall well-being than those living in families with higher levels of assets. The impacts of diverse household asset types on various aspects of children’s well-being are different. Additionally, the relationship between household assets and various dimensions of child well-being is different and unequal between rural and urban areas, as well as among the eastern, central, and western regions.